Best Nat King Cole Guitar Songs
Chords, Demos, and Tutorials
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If you’re a fan of timeless love songs and smooth jazz vocals, you’ll enjoy this collection of Nat King Cole’s best tunes arranged for acoustic guitar.

Each lesson on this page comes with a free chord sheet, a demo video, and the option to grab the full tutorial.

Whether you're strumming "Unforgettable" or grooving to "L.O.V.E.", these songs are perfect for both beginners and experienced players alike.

"L-O-V-E" was written by Bert Kaempfert with English lyrics by Milt Gabler, and became one of Nat King Cole's final and most enduring recordings. Cole recorded the song in June 1964, releasing it later that year before it became the title track of his 1965 album L-O-V-E.

To help the recording reach an international audience, he also recorded the song in Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, and French, even though he learned the foreign-language lyrics phonetically. The warm orchestral arrangement and Cole's unmistakable vocal style helped make L-O-V-E one of his signature songs, and it has since been recorded by countless artists while remaining a favourite for weddings, films, television commercials and romantic occasions.

As Cole's final studio album before his death in 1965, L-O-V-E remains one of the defining recordings of his remarkable career and musical legacy.

Mona Lisa was written by the Academy Award-winning songwriting team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the 1950 film Captain Carey, U.S.A. Although it was originally featured in the movie, it was Nat King Cole's recording that transformed the song into an international classic.

Released as a single in 1950, Cole's elegant interpretation reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, sold more than one million copies, and earned the Academy Award for Best Original Song for its composers. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, the lyrics reflect on the mystery behind Mona Lisa's unforgettable smile, perfectly complemented by Cole's warm vocals and lush orchestral arrangement.

Over the decades, the song has become one of the defining standards of the Great American Songbook, recorded by artists including Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, and Harry Connick Jr. In 1991, Mona Lisa was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, cementing its place among the greatest recordings of the twentieth century.

My Baby Just Cares For Me  was written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn for the 1928 Broadway-inspired musical film Whoopee!, starring Eddie Cantor.

The charming jazz standard quickly became a favourite among singers and big bands, thanks to its playful lyrics and memorable melody. Nat King Cole recorded his smooth interpretation in 1949, although it was never released as a commercial single and remained one of the lesser-known recordings in his catalogue. Despite that, Cole's relaxed vocal style and elegant piano accompaniment made the song a natural fit for his early jazz repertoire.

Over the years, My Baby Just Cares for Me has been recorded by numerous artists, most famously Nina Simone, whose 1958 version became an unexpected international hit when it was reissued three decades later. Today the song remains one of the enduring standards of the American songbook.

Nature Boy was written by the mysterious songwriter eden ahbez, whose unconventional lifestyle and philosophical outlook inspired one of popular music's most memorable ballads. In 1948, just before Nat King Cole was due to perform at the Lincoln Theatre in Los Angeles, someone handed him a copy of the song.

After listening to it later, Cole was captivated by its haunting melody and thoughtful lyrics, prompting him to track down the elusive songwriter and secure the rights to record it. Released that same year, Nature Boy became a sensational success, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and selling more than one million copies.

Its unforgettable closing line, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return," has since become one of the most quoted lyrics in popular music, helping establish the song as one of Nat King Cole's finest and most enduring recordings.

Save The Bones For Henry Jones  is one of the more obscure recordings from Nat King Cole's early career, capturing the playful jazz style that helped establish him as one of America's most versatile entertainers. Recorded in 1947, the song blended Cole's relaxed vocal delivery with the light-hearted swing arrangements that were popular during the post-war era.

Although it was never included on one of his original studio albums, the recording performed well enough to reach No. 12 on the U.S. Pop Chart, demonstrating Cole's growing popularity before his transition into the sophisticated ballads that would later define his career.

Today, Save the Bones for Henry Jones remains a favourite among dedicated collectors and longtime fans, offering an enjoyable glimpse into the energetic jazz and novelty recordings that showcased another side of Nat King Cole's remarkable musical talent.

The Christmas Song was written in the summer of 1945 by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, who reportedly composed it during a sweltering California heatwave simply to help themselves think cooler thoughts.

Officially titled The Christmas Song, it soon became so closely associated with its opening line that many listeners came to know it as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." Nat King Cole first recorded the song in 1946, and the recording quickly became a Christmas classic, reaching No. 3 on the charts. Never completely satisfied, Cole returned to the studio to record new versions in 1953 and again in 1961, with the final orchestral recording arranged by Ralph Carmichael becoming the timeless interpretation heard on radio stations around the world every holiday season.

Today, it remains one of the most beloved Christmas recordings ever made and is considered an essential part of Nat King Cole's musical legacy.

Unforgettable was written by Irving Gordon, who originally gave the song the working title "Uncomparable." His music publisher suggested the more memorable title "Unforgettable," a change that proved remarkably fitting for one of the greatest standards of the twentieth century.

Nat King Cole recorded the song in 1951, and it quickly became one of his signature recordings, reaching No. 14 on the U.S. Pop Chart and showcasing the smooth, intimate vocal style that made him one of popular music's most beloved performers. Four decades later, in 1991, his daughter Natalie Cole created a groundbreaking virtual duet by combining her newly recorded vocal with her father's original performance. The recording became an international success, once again reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, while winning three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Today, Unforgettable remains one of the most cherished father-daughter collaborations ever recorded and a fitting tribute to Nat King Cole's enduring musical legacy.